Wednesday, December 20, 2017

"As brands and agencies seek to expand into China — or to reach the Chinese diaspora across the globe — they will need to better understand the intricacies of the Chinese market and many of the unique products and services within it. This, coupled with the sheer size of these networks, means that social media watchers need to keep a close eye on them, if they’re not already." ~
@kpeixotto27

NOTE: Western social media sites and apps, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as Google, are blocked in China.

Meanwhile in North America, "Teens are playing to an 'imaginary' audience," according to Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a Princeton, N.J.-based clinical psychologist and author of Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends, and professor for a Great Courses class titled "Growing up Social in the Digital Age."

"Online popularity is measurable," Kennedy-Moore told On Board. "Kids are drawn to it because of it being quantifiable. ' Social media gives immediate and quantifiable feedback. There's pressure to constantly do more. It's relentless, and feels like never enough."

Service apps - Reviewing apps like Dianping and Ctrip have some of the largest satisfaction ratings in China, according to the Kantar report.
Dianping, formed by the merger of two smaller companies akin to Groupon
and Yelp, allows users to make lunch reservations, order food and buy
movie tickets through the app, explains Sherisse Pham from CNN.

Social live streaming - Interactive features such as danmaku,
where other people's thoughts appear to fly across your video screen,
have ignited the launch of a social media component to livestreaming, reports Social Brand Watch. One of these apps, Mango TV, a video app launched by Hunan Satellite, is quickly growing among young users, Kantar noted.

Social news - These interactive features are also gaining popularity among news apps. The increasingly growing app Toutiao, for example, aggregates news and features live Q&As.

Apps
targeting the elderly - Globally, older age groups are increasingly the
source for social media growth, and this is true in China, as users
ages 60 and older grew by 38.2 percent last year. This group tends to
see social media as a way to connect with friends and family members. In
contrast, younger generations see social media as a way to relieve real
life pressure, Kantar observed.

Wednesday, September 06, 2017

Grace Jones and Friends Live (one night only event October 25) promises to be a thrilling and enlightening evening with the inimitable icon, as she discusses her life and work with some of her closest collaborators, from the worlds of music, fashion, art and film, following an exclusive preview of Sophie Fiennes’ highly anticipated new film Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami.
To find your closest cinema and book tickets for Grace Jones and Friends Live go to Gracejonestickets.co.uk

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (opening in cinemas nationwide on 27 October) re-invents the music film as an electrifying journey through the performance, private and public worlds of pop cultural icon Grace Jones, whose bold aesthetic echoes throughout the film. Director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology, The Pervert’s Guide To Cinema, Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow) creates a powerful cinematic experience, contrasting breathtaking musical sequences with intimate personal footage, ultimately reaching beyond the iconic mask. In Jamaican patois, ‘Bloodlight’ is the red light that illuminates when an artist is recording and ‘Bami’ means bread, the substance of daily life.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Awkwafina has received growing acclaim over the past three years for her quirky persona, impish humor, cheeky music videos, and engaging manner as a talk show host. Formerly the co-host of MTV's weekly late-night talk show Girl Code Live!, she now hosts her own show, TAWK, on Verizon's new streaming service, go90.com. TAWK was an Official Honoree at the 2016 Webby Awards and a 2016 Streamy Award nominee in the News and Culture category.

On Thursday, August 31, Awkwafina will talk with her former UAlbany journalism professor, Steve Barnes, senior writer and restaurant critic of the Times Union, about her life and career.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Between theft, fraud and natural disasters, there are a number of things that can go wrong at your place of business. The good news is that you don't have to sit around and wait for the worst to happen. If you're ready to fight back against unfortunate circumstances, here are just four ways to give yourself a securer workplace.

1. Install Lights and Alarms

Put flood lights around your store to banish shadows and lurking spots. Have an alarm that will blare if anyone attempts to enter a confidential file room. You can even install sound, motion, heat and vibration sensors to be absolutely sure that no one gains access to an area that's off-limits. It all depends on how far that you're willing to go for peace of mind.

2. Hire Security Guards

The mere presence of security guards is often enough to scare away criminals. However, if you do find yourself as the victim of a robbery or assault, it can really pay off to have trained professionals around. Not only can they ensure the safety of yourself and your employees, but they can also save you from liability issues when it comes time to report the incident to your insurance company.

3. Get Digital

Stream your camera feeds to an off-site location so that the tapes can't be stolen. Install a biometric time clock that won't allow non-employees to punch in without the right fingerprint. It's the 21st century, and security technology has turned a corner in terms of speed, convenience and effectiveness. If you're still relying on gadgets that were made before the computer age, it's time for an upgrade.

4. Secure the Perimeter

This can be as simple as erecting a fence around your pizza place. It can also be as complicated as installing a laser grid around high-risk artifacts in your museum. It's up to you to decide how to best protect your property; just make sure that you're hiring the right people to put it in place. For example, if you're installing a fence, contact a high-quality chain link fencing manufacturer.

These are just a few ways to prevent burglary and tragedy around your place of business. Whether it's hiring a few security guards for your shop or installing brand-new surveillance equipment around the office, do whatever it takes to make yourself feel secure. Your livelihood could depend on it.

Monday, July 31, 2017

One Hour Translation,
the world’s largest online translation agency, surveyed around 71,000
translation projects about cyber-security during 2016 and 2017.

The survey showed that
governments and companies all over the world are equipping themselves with the
best insights available in the English-speaking world to prepare themselves for
a rise in cyber-security threats.

Lehi, Utah, July 31, 2017 - The
growing wave of cyber-attacks that is shaking countries all around the world
caused a surge in demand for translations in the cyber-security field in 2017.
The target languages of cyber-security practitioners include surprising
languages such as Danish. One Hour Translation, the world’s largest
online translation agency, examined around 71,000 English translation projects
in 2016 and 2017 and found that the number of cyber-security translation
projects in the 14 most popular languages jumped 280% in the first half of 2017
compared with the first half of 2016.

The most popular target
languages for translations from English in the cyber-security area during the
first half of 2017 are as follows:

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The event is free and open to
the public and the public is encouraged to join in the reading. Those
interested in reading can sign up to participate when they arrive. The
reading will be held outside, please bring folding chairs. Rain site is
Channing Hall (same location).

On
August 6, 1945 the United States of America used the atomic bomb for the first
time to destroy the city of Hiroshima, Japan; on August 9, the U.S. used the
atomic bomb again on Nagasaki, Japan. Over 200,000 people died
immediately in the two bombings and over a hundred thousand more died in the
following decades as a result of the effects of the radiation.

Hiroshima
by John Hersey tells the story of the bombing on August 6, 1945 by following
the story of six of the survivors. The book version has been in print
since 1946.

Friday, July 14, 2017

If you are looking for a platform on which to host your E-commerce website, one of the first things that you will probably notice is that the more feature-rich applications can cost a lot more to host and a lot more in licensing fees.

The question then becomes for most companies, is it worth the additional cost to have the added capabilities? After all, there are quite a few stores that bring in a lot of revenue without having to tax a server with a lot of extra code. In fact, the key might be that their forward looking interface is easy to use for visitors.

Most website shopping carts that do cost extra to host actually are written using languages that require more memory and more diskspace. So for those that need to get started as somewhat less than han Amazon.com, it can actually make sense to look at other options. One of the strongest options in the marketplace is to connect with a partner that offers a full-fledged shopping cart as part of the hosting package. Vendors like 1shoppingcart . com have years of experience providing e-commerce sites using this model.

If you go it alone with your hosting scenario you will often find that as you add different payment providers you need to pay a premium in terms of percentage on each sale until your revenue climbs to the point where it makes sense for you to pay for more of a flat rate.

When you use your hosting provider's included shopping cart you can often take advantage of discounts on your payment processing fee that come about because the provider puts all of their sales underneath one contract. Everything is separate, but you get the benefit of immediately receiving a discount like you are a large e-commerce store.

Style that compels:

Most shopping cart users invariably end up making a new theme in order to customize and brand their site so it attracts customers to their specific company. When you sign up to work with a hosting provider that includes a shopping cart, you can often get free access to hundreds of themes that may allow you to make that special look without having to spend a lot of money on customization.

In addition, most themes actually have the the ability to work on desktop computers and on smartphones without you having to make any extra edits. You merely add your product data and pictures and it will be rendered correctly on any device that your customer is using.

Cart options:

When you look at large retailers' shopping carts, you may notice that they offer a lot of options that will a!So appeal to your clients. Features like remove this item from the shopping cart, continue to shop with items in your cart and one click checkout are standard with those merchants. They are not always standard with a shopping cart that you purchase. Because hosting providers often get feedback from customers requesting these features, they may use their clout to ask for and receive the latest options for checkout. So when you find a provider that does have this level of sophistication, you will obviously come out ahead.

Finding a shopping cart that is included with your website hosting can be a money and time-saving experience. Working with established partners can further stabilize your launch and make it successful.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

April
12 (Wednesday): Gregory Pardlo, Pulitzer Prize-winning poetReading and McKinney Writing Contest Award — 8:00 p.m., Biotech Auditorium,
Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Building, Rensselaer (RPI), TroyGregory Pardlo received the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for
Digest
(2014), his second published collection. The Pulitzer committee
described Pardlo’s work as “Clear-voiced poems that bring readers the
news from 21st century America, rich with thought, ideas
and histories public and private.” Poet Campbell McGrath said the poems
in Digest “…delight the ear, encourage the heart, and nourish the brain.” Pardlo won the
American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize for his collection
Totem (2007). He is also the author of
Air Traffic, a memoir in essays forthcoming from Knopf.Sponsored by
Rensselaer’s 76th Annual McKinney Writing Contest and Reading; Vollmer
W. Fries Lecture; Department of Communication and Media; School of
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; Rensselaer Union;
Friends of the Folsom Library; Poets & Writers; and the Writers
InstituteRead more

Monday, March 27, 2017

Many, many people, for many, many years, have ridden bicycles (and even motorcycles) without ever donning any sort of protective headgear, and never suffered a mishap. But all it takes is one hiccup. It coul dbe cyclist error. Maybe a sudden unseen unexpected pothole. Or an animal running out ahead of your bike. From bump on the noggin to a cut to severe concussion to fatal head injury.
Here are a few helpful websites as we coast into Spring!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Just like you would not trust just anyone to take care of your pet for the weekend while you are out of town, neither should you assign web hosting responsibilities to just anyone either. This is simply too important a part of your business plan today to give over to a company that does not have a proven track record. Website downtime, for example, can cost you a great deal of money and customers. You need a web hosting provider that maintains the security and integrity of your site at all times, while working to ensure that the site is operational 99.9 percent of the time. In other words, your web hosting provider does make a difference and this is why you should carefully consider your options before choosing one.

Assess Your Needs

With all of the various web hosting and design packages out there, you will want to conduct a careful assessment of your needs before deciding which is best for you. The first and primary concern should be reliability. Read online reviews and talk to others in a similar business as you in order to find out a few of the more reputable hosting companies out there today.

You also want to make sure that the package you choose offers you enough storage space. Do not feel as if you need to get the best and most powerful package right away, but do ensure that you have some room to grow as you are ready. You do not want to find that you need to change web hosting providers later on just because you run out of room.

A Good Web Host Will Grow Alongside You

If you are like most, your business is in a constant evolution. While you might not need every feature known to man today, some of those very online tools and resources can come in quite handy at a later date. This is why a good web host will offer a variety of packages that grow along side. You might not need Wordpress hosting at the moment, for example, but it would be nice to have the flexibility to add that in as you decide to get into more complex online activities.

As you grow, you will also want to choose a provider that offers more professional hosting services that you could never accomplish on your own. This will provide you with nearly unlimited disk space and the possibility of end email address. These features alone can give even the smallest business a big company look and feel on the Internet. As you need them, make sure they are available. Finally, you want to ensure that your web host offers industry leading SSL security. This is a must in today’s virtual world, and your customers will want an assurance that their data is safe for you.

Choose a web hosting provider wisely. This is a decision that will make a difference for your business, so consider the packages that are out there and get the one that provides the most bang for your buck.

Monday, March 06, 2017

Top
Frauds Reported To A.G.’s Office Include Internet, Automobile, Retail And Other
Consumer Services, Housing, And Utilities

A.G.
Provides Tips To Avoid Scams, Urges New Yorkers To Report Fraud At ag.ny.gov Or
1-800-771-7755

NEW YORK- Marking the start of
National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today
released the list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by his office
in 2016. Attorney General Schneiderman also offered a variety of tips on how to
avoid scams in the future.

“This serves as a reminder:
fraudsters are always looking for ways to line their pockets at the expense of
unsuspecting consumers,” said
Attorney General Schneiderman. “The best weapon against scams
is an informed consumer – and the law. I encourage New Yorkers to report fraud,
and my office will continue its long tradition of vigorously enforcing New
York’s strong consumer protection laws.”

For
the eleventh year in a row, Internet-related complaints topped the list with 4,605 complaints. Internet-related
complaints were closely followed by

Thursday, January 19, 2017

"Is Your Digital Life Ready for Your Death?" A very important question, raised by a leading newspaper.

Like those who prefer to write their own obituaries, with a little foresight and planning, you can begin writing and uploading future works for the masses. You just want to make certain that things you write will stay relevant over the passage of time.
According to The New York Times: "For the past two decades, most of us in the modern world have gradually shifted our central living space online. That’s 20-ish years of documenting our real-life experiences while also creating entirely new versions of ourselves in countless places online.
These digital lives are basically immortal, so you may as well figure out while you’re still alive what will happen to them after you’re gone.
There are two main things to consider: What will happen to your accounts and what will happen to the data contained therein."
What? TWO main things? NO! There is a third alternative - a choice to stay alive digitally, forever! (Or at least until the servers all crash and burn).

Monday, January 09, 2017

Once you decide that it's time for your company to invest in internet
marketing services, your next course of action should be locating the
ideal firm. Below you will find several attributes that you should look
for when you start your search for the right digital company:

1. Comprehensive Services.

One of the first things you should look for in a digital advertising
company is comprehensive services. Locating an online marketing firm
that will provide you with all of the digital services you need will
preclude you from having to go to multiple agencies when you need
assistance. Some of the primary services you should be looking for in a
digital advertising agency include:

Also be sure to try to locate a company that offers email marketing campaign services. Companies like Solid Cactus make this service
available to ensure that business owners can connect with their target
audience in a dynamic, relationship-building manner.

Another form of service that you should look for in a digital marketing
agency is public relations services. Many online advertising companies
now offer PR assistance, so try to locate a firm that provides the
following:

In addition to seeking out a digital marketing firm that offers
comprehensive services, make sure you locate a team of experts who have a
great reputation. This technique will empower you to obtain your
digital advertising services from people who are known for operating in
an ethical, upstanding manner. There are several steps you can take to
determine whether a digital marketing organization has a great
reputation. One is by checking the company's online reviews. If the
company regularly receives great feedback from customers, this is
typically a good sign that they will offer you excellent services.

3. Fair Pricing.

Another attribute you should look for in an online advertising firm is
fair pricing. This step is important because it helps ensure that you
don't have to break the bank to obtain the digital marketing services
you deserve. Do some internet research to determine what the average
prices are for the various digital marketing packages you might be
interested in.

Don't Delay: Invest In Excellent Internet Marketing Services Today!

If you want your business to be as successful as possible, know that
finding the right internet marketing firm is a great way to help you
realize the goal. Some of the attributes that the best digital firms
will have include comprehensive services, a great reputation, and fair
pricing.

Wednesday, January 04, 2017

(Originally published December 12, 2011) Two bands that have stood the test of time: The Doors (headed by the very influential Jim Morrison) and Love (headed by Arthur Lee). Both light years ahead of their time - o r- is it that the groups were so unique that it made us believe they were far advanced? The Doors created music that just could not be performed by anyone else (save for Feliciano's "Light My Fire" and the 80s band "The Cult" which made eerie-Doorslike tunes). Then there was Love - NObody could emulate Love!

After losing the Lovin' Spoonful, who became fabulously successful, Elektra's Jac Holzman was on the lookout for a breakthrough pop band. Most of the groups based in New York City had been picked over by the record companies with lots of pop experience, so in 1965 Holzman went to L.A. --- On the Sunset strip he discovered the band Love, headed by Arthur Lee. In his autobiography, Holzman said of Love, "Five guys of all colors, black, white and psychedelic-that was a real first. My heart skipped a beat. I had found my band!" Elektra began a new catalogue numbering system with the first Love album [EKS-74001] and for the first time in Elektra history they put a single onto the charts with "My Little Red Book."

In 1967, Love followed their first album with "Forever Changes" [EKL-74013] which is absolutely incredible, a masterpiece of a record - vastly underrated - that ranks near the top as one of the best recordings ever made.

I was introduced to the album by my high school chum Mike Laiacona. (Pictured at left with guitar legend Les Paul)

In May, 1966, Jac flew to Los Angeles to meet with Love, who were playing at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Their opening act was a group which Arthur Lee had a high opinion of, and Lee suggested that Jac sign them to Elektra. Jac initially was unimpressed with the group but went back several times to see them perform. On his fourth visit, Jac realized that this was no run-of-the-mill rock band and decided to sign them. The group was the Doors.

Jac wanted Paul Rothchild to produce them, but when Rothchild flew to L.A. to hear them, he told Holzman he was nuts for signing the group and that he (Rothchild) did not want to produce them. Finally, Jac told him, "Paul, I never thought I'd say this to you, but you owe me. You've got to do this band. You are the only person for the job." Rothchild reluctantly agreed. The group was taken to Tutti Camarata's Disney studios to record their first album, which took about a week.

Elektra issued "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" as the first single from the album, and it received modest airplay stalling at number 106. They immediately issued the second single from the album, "Light My Fire". The version on the album is seven minutes long, and Jac insisted it be cut for AM play. The Doors said it couldn't be cut, but Rothchild edited the song to about three minutes and then played it for them. They all agreed to issue it. In June, 1967, "Light My Fire" reached the Number One position in the pop charts, becoming Elektra's first #1 single. The album was just as successful, and in the last 30 years the Doors have sold over 45 million records. [Source+]

Other artists in the Elektra stable included The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Tim Buckley, Judy Collins and The Incredible String Band.

The Blues Project was on Verve, another "folk label" - and around the same time Love and the Doors were on the radio, college stations were playing the BP cover of Donovan's "Catch The Wind" which was recorded during a live performance.

The Blues Project had a connection to Elektra: during 1964, the label released a compilation album of various artists entitled, The Blues Project. One of the featured artists on the LP was a young Danny Kalb, who was paid $75 for his two songs. Not long after the album's release, however, Kalb traded his acoustic guitar for an electric one. The Beatles' arrival in the United States earlier in the year signified the end of the folk music/Hootenanny movement that had taken North America by storm during the early 1960s.

Kalb's first rock and roll band was formed in the spring of 1965, playing under various names at first, until finally settling on the Blues Project moniker as an allusion to Kalb's first foray on record. By September 1965 the band was a top draw in Greenwich Village. Members at the time included Danny Kalb on guitar, Steve Katz also on guitar, Andy Kulberg on bass and flute, Roy Blumenfeld on drums and Tommy Flanders on vocals.

The band's first big break just weeks later when they failed a Columbia records audition. The audition introduced the band to session organist Al Kooper, who started out as a session guitarist, but that summer, he began playing organ when he played on the "Like a Rolling Stone" recording session for Bob Dylan's album, Highway 61 Revisited. Kooper-the-organist joined the Blues Project and began gigging with them, and within a very short time, the Blues Project was signed by Verve Records, and recorded their first album live at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village over the course of a week in November 1965!Tags: Elektra, The Doors

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and Dave Lucas are properly cited. Permission to reprint any comments below is granted only for those comments written by Dave Lucas and staff.

Having said that : While I take every precaution to provide my readers with most accurate information and honest analysis, please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information in this blog. All information is provided on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. I will not compensate you in any way whatsoever if you ever happen to suffer a loss/inconvenience/damage because of/while making use of information in this blog. (Author may keep updating old posts on a regular basis and is not bound to explicitly state all corrections made…)